Having talked about the bicycle for approach trips, I put the words into action and pedalled down to the Mittån delta where the river flows into the Messlingen lake. My pack was borderline too heavy to feel comfortable while sitting on the saddle but it’s just over 6 km so not a major issue. The small road down to the lake, and then the 4-wheeler trail/road up to Kappruskaftet is actually marked as an MTB trail but I knew it would be tough going up and the road wasn’t in any good condition so I didn’t attempt it, just left the bike at the foot of the hill. But walking up is no problem, this trail switchbacks so it’s never too steep, making it possible to walk up non-stop. Normally I need to make some stops to… hmm… enjoy the view while going up a mountain…

When I was up on Kappruskaftet, I turned left and just simply followed the plateau east until I came into a forest, and then it was an easy task to find the ravine I came here for – Lövörgraven. Considering that this ravine is in the forest, I was mentally prepared to not like it. I prefer my ravines with steep cliff walls, not with gentle forested slopes. Sure enough, at first I was frustrated that it was impossible to get a good view with all the trees in the way. Then I got to a spot with some proper ravine features with a cliff overhang and the first thing I saw was a stub covered with wolf lichen, my favourite lichen. I instantly forgave Lövörgraven for its lack of dramatic features and had a very nice coffee break, looking down in the ravine with Blåstöten in the background.

The way to and from the ravine is quite interesting as well. In some spots there are a lot of fallen pines, with their weathered grey branches and roots making the area look like a prehistoric graveyard with bones scattered all over the place. What’s interesting is that some of the trees show signs of being sawn down. And some of the trees they had cut down were still lying on the ground. Makes you wonder about the times gone by!

So, now I’ve done 7 out of the 10 ravines in Messlingen. #8 will be easy and I will do it in the coming days, #9 is on the slope of Blåstöten and I thought I would do it during this vacation, but considering all the snow on the mountain I’m probably going to leave it for August. The ravine itself is completely filled with snow anyway. And #10 is something I will probably save up for next year. It seems like it’s the hardest and most boring to get to with little hope for great rewards because it’s in the middle of a forest. But it has to be done…